Fire extinguisher



Nov. 18, 1930. F. T. ,wlLcox FIRE nx'rmeu sman Filed Oct. 11. 1927 2. Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 18, 1930. F. T. WILCOX 1,782,083

FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed 001;. 11, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Jnuwntoz hank; Tia ileum,

Queu ng Patented Nov. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK 'r. WILCOX, or NORWALK, 01110, ASSIGNOR To THE rrnnx nxrmeuisnnn com- PANY, or NORWALK, onro, A CORPORATION or OHIO FIRE nxrnveursrrnn Application filed October 11, 1927. Serial No. 225,474.

This invention relates to fire extinguishers and more particularly to that type in which a liquid chemical extinguishing agent is employed, such for instance as carbon tetra-chloride and the like.

In the majority of the extinguishers now on the market of the. chemical type the capacity is so limited that they afford little protection except where the fire is exceedingly small. It is therefore one ofthe principal objects of this invention to provide a compact and readily portable hand extinguisher .capable of carrying a sufficient quantity of chemical to put out the average fire, whether occurring in factory, business establishment,

or household.

Another object of the invention is to so mount the operating parts of the extinguisher that they are convenient for the assembling and also rigidly mounted so that they are substantially fool-proof.

A still further object of the invention is the construction of a unitary head embodying not only a cover for the air and chemical cylinders but also providing a mounting for the respective control valves and the pump plunger guide.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the followingv specific description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation tinguisher.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Figure 1, showing the location of the pump with respect to the cylinders.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a top plan view with the pump handle removed so as to better illustrate the other parts. V

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1,'- and showing the .5 relation of the air and chemical valves.

Figure6 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detail of the upper end of the handle clip taken at right-angles to the 50 view of Figure 1.

of the exand chemical cylinders 3 and 1. These cylthreaded valve stem13 which projects through 9 contains the valve which controls the air lowered the valves are closed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents the base provided, as shown,- with spaced sockets Q forming an integral part thereof and arranged to receive the. air

inders are connected togetherat their upper ends by a head 5"havingspaced socketsg6 corresponding to the sockets 2 and adapted, to receive the upper end of the cylinders, -as shown in Figure 3. The cylinders are brazedseg or otherwise secured in the sockets 2 to 'form' an air-tight connection capable of withstand- '1 j ing highpressure. The cylinder 4 is provided with a slight opening 7 covered by a suitable glass so that the operator may determine when the chemical is at the proper height I therein.

Formed integrally with the head 5 and located immediately above the cylinders 3 and 4, are valve casings or housings 8 and 9 which are connected together by a rib 10, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained. Each housing is provided with a valve seat 11 which receives the needle valve 12 carried by the 5 the packing gland 14 and having connected thereto suitable operating levers. The hous-- ing 8 contains the valve which controls'the discharge of the chemical, while the housing supply from the cylinder 3 to the cylinder 4, as will be hereinafter explained. The valve stem 13 of the chemical valve has secured thereto anoperating crank or lever 15, while the valve stem 13 of the air valve hasat-zs5 tached thereto the operating lever 16. This latter lever hasa hand knob 17 on its end and intermediate its endsthere is pivoted thereto one end of a connecting link 18, the opposite end of which is'pivotally connected to the oer-1, minal of the crank 15, so that when the hand knob is elevated the valve stem 13 of the air valve is turned and through the link 18 and crank 15 the stem 13 of the chemical valve is also turned. From this it will be seen that when the lever 16 is operated in either direction the air and chemical valves are simultaneously operated. By raising the lever 16 the valves are opened and when the lever 16 is cylinder 3.

The rib 10 which connects the housings 8 and 9 is provided with a chamber or passage 8 23 which connects the valve chamber of the housing 9 with a vertical port 24 extending vertically through the head adjacent the housing 8 so that air may pass from the valve chamber of the housing 9 into the cylinder 4 when the air valve is opened.

The housing 8 is also provided with a discharge port which communicates with the valve chamber and with the port 19 when the valve is open, and secured in this port is a hose 25 preferably of the flexible metallic variety capable of withstanding high pressure. The

terminal end of the hose is provided with a discharge nozzle 26 which when not in use is retained in a clip 27 carriedbythe face plate 28. This face plate is bridged between the two cylinders and has formed on its opposite ends extensions 29 which are secured in an suitable manner to the base 1 and head 5. The face plate forms no part of the present invention but serves to support a name plate 30 and to cover the pump cylinder which will be herematter described. It also serves to bridge what might be considered an unsightly gap between the two cylinders.

Located between the two cylinders and seated in a socket 31 formed in the base 1, is the pump cylinder 32. The upper end of the pump cylinder is secured in an opening within the head 5 and has mounted therein the usual pump plunger and plunger operating rod indicated at 33 and 34, respectively. The plunger and operating rod may be of any preferred construction but in the present instance have shown the plunger rod to be tubular in form so as to obtain relatively great strength with comparative lightness. The plunger rod has secured to its upper end an operatin handle 35 having reduced extensions 36 on its terminal end for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The. pump rod is guided in its movement by a sleeve guiding member 36 which is secured to the upper surface of the head 5 between the valve housings 8 and 9.

As shown in Figure 3, the socket 31 is provided with a lateral port 37 which communicates with an air discharge tube 38 and with the interior of the pump cylinder at its base.

' The tube 38 extends upwardly from the base and is connected at its upper end to the head 5 where it communicates with a horizontal .needle valve 42 actuated by a lever 43 so as to control the admission of air from the pump cylinder to the air cylinder 3.

'As shown'in Figure "5, the tube 38 is also connected to a nipple 44 normally closed by the cap 45. This nipple is provided so as to make the filling of the air cylinder possible at an air filling station when such is available.

Mounted upon the head 5 immediately above the air cylinder-'2, is a suitable pressure gage 46 which communicates with the interior of the cylinder 3 and shows at a glance the pressure of air contained in said cylinder. This gageis protected by a U-shaped guard 47 secured at one end tothe head 5 and its opposite end to an ear 48 formed on the valve housing 9. The guard 47 carries a hook 49 open forwardly and adjacent the housing 8 a spring clip 50 issecured to the head 5. This clip is provided with flared ears 50 and a central opening 5O adapted to receive one of the reduced extensions 36. The hook 49 and clip 50 are, as shown in Figure 1., adapted to engage and receive the reduced ends 36 of the handle 35 when the pump is in inoperative position. When the handle is in this position it serves as a carrying medium for to the pump cylinder 32. After the cylinder 5 1 3 has been filled and the required pressure obtained,the valve 42 is closed, as will be readily understood. The cylinder 3-may be filled by attaching an ordinary .air hose to the nipple 44.

When it is desired to operate the device,

it being understood that the cylinder 3uis filled with air, the lever 16 is raised which turns both the air andchemical valves simultaneously in the same direction and opens I them. Air .then passes from the cylinder 3 through the ports 22 and 21 to-the valve housing 9 and from the valve chambertherein through the air passage 22 to the port 24 which, as before stated, has communication with the interior of the cylinder 4. The liquid chemical in said cylinder 4 is therefore placed under pressure equal to the pressure in the cylinder 3, and thereby forced upwardly through the tube 1 and through the port 19 into the valve chamber of the housing 8 where it is discharged through the hose 25. Upon depressing the lever 16 both air and chemical valves are simultaneously closed, thus preventing the further discharge of the liquid and cutting oil the supply of air to the cylinder 4.

After all the liquid chemical has been discharged from the cylinder 4, it may be again filled through an opening 52 closed by a screw plug 53.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a fire extinguisher, air and chemical cylinders, an integral head closing the upper end of said cylinders, valve housings forming a part of said head, valves in said housings for controlling air from the air cylinder to said chemical cylinder and the discharge of chemical from said chemical cylinder, a pump for delivering air to the air cylinder, means for connecting said air cylinder with an external source of pressure,

' and a valve for controlling the air from said source and said pump to the air cylinder. ,7 r

2. In a fire extinguisher, air and chemical cylinders, an integral head casting closing the upper ends of said cylinders, means on said head for controlling the discharge from the air cylinder to said chemical cylinder and the discharge of chemical from said chemical cylinder, a pump arranged intermediate the cylinders, to deliver air to said air cylinder, means for delivering air to said air cylinder from an external source of pressure, and a common valve for controlling air from said pump and external source to the air cylinder.

3. In a fire extinguisher, a common base, vertically disposed air and chemical cylinders arranged in parallelism beside each other on said base, an integral head casting connecting said cylinders and closing the upper ends thereof, said casting comprising valve housings and fluid passageways establishing communication between the interiors of said cylinders and also between the interior and exterior of said chemical cylinder, rotatably mounted valves in said housings to control said respective passageways whereby to control the discharge of air from said air cylinder to said chemical cylinder and the discharge of said air from said chemical cylinder through the passageways in said head, a lever connected to one of said valves, and an operating connection between the other of said valves and said lever, said lever co-acting with said connection to simultaneously rotate said valves in the same direction.

4. In a fire extinguisher, vertically disposed air and chemical cylinders arranged in parallelism beside each other, an integral head casting closing the upper ends of said housings and fluid'passageways establishing communication between the interior of said cylinders and also between the interior and, exterior of said chemical cylinder, rotatably mounted valves in said housings to control said respective passageways whereby 'to control the discharge of air from said air cylinder to the chemical cylinder and the discharge of chemical from said chemical cylinder, and means for simultaneously rotating said valves.

5. In a fire extinguisher, vertically disposed air and chemical cylinders arranged in parallelism beside each other, an integral head casting closing the upper ends of said cylinders, said casting comprising valve housings and fluid passageways establishing communicationbetween the interior of said cylinders and also between the interior and exterior of said chemical cylinder, rotatably mounted valves in said housings to control said respective passageways whereby to controlthe discharge of air from said air cylinder to the'chemical cylinder and the discharge of chemical from said chemical cylinder, means for simultaneously'rotating said valves, a separate valve housing integral with said head, and a vertically disposed valve therein for controlling air from a source of supply to the air cylinder.

In testimony whereof -I aiiix my signature.

FRANK 'I. WILCOX. 

